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Apollinaris (water) facts for kids

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Apollinaris
Apollinaris (Mineralwasser) logo.svg
Country Germany/USA
Produced by Coca-Cola
Source Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler
Type sparkling
pH 5.8
Calcium (Ca) 90
Chloride (Cl) 130
Bicarbonate (HCO3) 1800
Fluoride (F) 0.7
Magnesium (Mg) 120
Nitrate (NO3) 1.6
Potassium (K) 30
Sodium (Na) 470
Sulfate (SO4) 100
TDS 1600
Website apollinaris-gmbh.de
All concentrations in milligrams per liter (mg/L); pH without units
Apollinaris
19th-century Apollinaris bottle
AG Apollinarisbrunnen 1876
Share certificate in the Apollinaris company, issued 1 January 1876

Apollinaris is a naturally sparkling mineral water from a special spring in Bad Neuenahr, Germany. People discovered this spring in 1852. It quickly became very popular in England and across Europe. For a long time, it was the most famous table water until around World War II. Many books and popular culture references mention Apollinaris. Today, the Coca-Cola company owns this well-known brand.

The Story of Apollinaris Water

Apollinaris baseball ad LCCN2014696197 (cropped)
An American advertisement for Apollinaris water, seen at a baseball stadium around 1914.

How the Spring Was Found

The Apollinaris spring was found by accident in 1852. It was in Georg Kreuzberg's vineyard in Bad Neuenahr, Germany. He named the spring after St Apollinaris of Ravenna, who is a patron saint of wine. The water came from a rocky place about 50 feet deep.

Becoming a Global Favorite

In 1872, Ernest Hart, a medical journalist, suggested Apollinaris to George Smith, a publisher. Soon after, in 1873 or 1874, Edward Steinkopff helped create an English company to sell the water in Britain. This company, Apollinaris Company Ltd., had offices in London.

Steinkopff was the chairman, and Julius Prince was the managing director. Apollinaris quickly became incredibly successful. It was known as the top natural table water around the world.

Famous people enjoyed Apollinaris. Otto von Bismarck, a famous German leader, loved this mineral water. The poet Guillaume Apollinaire even thought of it as "his" special water.

Symbols and Sales

The company adopted a red triangle symbol and the slogan "The Queen of Table Waters" in 1895. In 1897, Steinkopff and his partners sold the business to hotel owner Frederick Gordon for a large sum of money. Julius Prince continued as managing director.

By 1913, the company was bottling 40 million bottles of water each year. A huge 90% of these bottles were sent to other countries worldwide.

Modern Ownership

Over time, the ownership of Apollinaris changed. Today, the spring and the Apollinaris brand are owned by Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola bought it from the company Cadbury-Schweppes in 2006.

Apollinaris in Sports

Supporting Beach Games

In the 1950s and 1960s, Apollinaris helped organize fun beach games. They worked with the Torck factories from Belgium. These games were called "Les Rois du Volant" or "De Koningen der Baan" and took place on the Belgian coast.

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